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Jerome Joysong
Jerome Joysong is the fabulous High Magister of the House of Music in Eredan and a good friend of Cedric Gallows. He is an incredibly influential man in Tyrrus, both politically and culturally, and often sets current fashion and music trends. History Childhood Jerome was born into the wealthy Joysong family of Eredan, the middle of three sons. As middle child, Jerome often didn't get much attention, especially since both his parents were often very busy with political matters. His father taught Jared, the eldest, swordfighting, horse-riding, and diplomacy. His mother was always taking care of Jamie. This left Jerome with nothing to do, and he mostly spent his days making friends with anybody he could find; servants, visiting noblemen and their children, etc. A bard from the House of Music visited the house in 1996, when Jerome was about 10 years old. Jerome was enthralled by the enticing tones that the bard could create with his lyre and his voice, and was then determined to become a musician. His parents disapproved, but they didn't really care that much. For many years Jerome practiced, while his parents and other nobles mocked him behind their backs. Nobody knew how good Jerome was getting apart from his friends, who he would practice front of. Adolescence in 2004 his family were invited to a ball held by the House of Music. Jerome managed to convince one of the Magisters to let him have a short performance. His family, and all who knew of the obscure young man, were surprised to see Jerome get up on stage with a violin in the middle of the ball, and were then even more surprised when he began to play. Jerome played an incredible melody, like nothing the gathered nobles had ever heart. It was fast, it was invigorating, it was spectacular. It was all the joy and merriment of the sorts of songs played in taverns, mixed with the beauty and grace of noble music. Just as the tune began to reach a climax a pair of guards stormed onto the stage and carried him away. It turned out that the High Magister of the House of Music at the time, Lord Willem Silverspear, could not stand the tune that Jerome played, and his parents had thought it an embarrassment. They banned Jerome from the House of Music and took away his instruments. Jerome was disgruntled and began to spend his time wandering around the city. He gained an appreciation for the hustle and bustle of city life and would try to find mistrels and bards, to discover more different kinds of music. He found songs of joy, songs of sadness, songs of love, and many more. He found that a song could inspire all kind of emotions, even the simple placement of one note could change, or add more to, the meaning of a melody. One day, while he wandered the streets, he passed by the House of Silk, and from the building came running a young girl of a similar age to Jerome. She said that her name was Taylor Flynnford and that she'd seen his performance at the House of Music and loved it. She agreed that it was an outrage that they banned him from music, and invited him into the house. It was on that day that Jerome found another love, fashion. He marveled at the variety of wonderful, fabulous clothes available, and began to visit the house again and again. Originally he did this to gawk at the fabulous fashion, but it became increasingly just to visit Taylor. One day Taylor showed him a garment that she'd made specifically for him, a magnificent coat of purple and gold. It was not the current fashion, but it suited Jerome perfectly. He returned home wearing it and shocked the rest of his family, who were beginning to think that he was acting so rebellious just to spite them. in 2005 Jared Joysong died while out hunting, making Jerome heir to the family name. His parents hated this fact, but began to teach Jerome how to run the family. The grief of his brother dying, added to the stress of learning politics and diplomacy, and the fact that he had no time to visit Taylor anymore, made this part of Jerome's life a terrible experience. Additionally, he disagreed with his parents at every turn, he wanted to join the House of Music, they wanted him to become a military leader like his father, and grandfather and so on. It soon became apparent that Jerome had none of the aptitude for military leadership. They tried teaching him mercantile skills but he was terrible at that too. They lost faith in Jerome and just hoped that Jamie would be able to carry the family. Rise to Fame in 2006, when Jerome was 20 years old, Willem Silverspear died. Bartholomew Zaikhardt became High Magister, and there was opening for a new lower Magister. Jerome knew this was his chance, but he had to convince the council that although his music was different, it was also good. He concocted a plan. Firstly, Jerome bought a load of instruments. Secondly, Jerome approached some of the minstrels and bards that he most admired and asked them to join him in the most spectacular musical performance that Eredan has ever seen. Taylor volunteered to make the band some incredible outfits, all of which were absolutely spectacular and unlike the current fashion. Lastly, Jerome approached the Archmage of Eredan, Archmage Matthias Everfall. The man was known to enjoy music and festivities and had been present at the ball, during which Jerome played. Jerome managed to convince the man to help him out, and they began to prepare. Later that year came the Festival of Sun's Zenith. Through the streets came a small parade with a modest orchestra and choir sent from the House of Music. The people looked bored, the music was stuff they'd already heard. When suddenly, upon a rooftop, they appeared. A band, each wielding a different instrument, and all dressed gloriously in pink, purple, white and gold. At the front, stood Jerome Joysong with a guitar. They began to play, and thanks to the Archmage's magic they were amplified to be heard all across the district. Bartholomew Zaikhardt, the conductor, was angered at this defiance. He used his own magical powers to amplify his orchestra. For a tense five minutes which felt like a day, they two fought an intense, musical battle, each vying to drown out the other, yet the music intermingled and mixed creating a strange, yet powerful sound. Jerome and Bartholomew sweated with the effort. The song has been described as the most incredible performance in the history of Eredan. No, more than that, it was SPECTACULAR. When the music finally died down, the crowd cheered like never before, and both men had gained a lot of respect for one another. Jerome was instantly made a magister at the House of Music, much to his parents disappointment. The Civil Almost-War of 2010 In 2009 tensions began to rise in Eredan. After the death of King Valnius Dragoncrest and Queen Amelia Dragoncrest, the king's cousin Stewart became King Regent until Victoriana could come of age. Valnius had introduced harsh restrictions upon the houses of Eredan and they began to protest that these been removed, because they knew Stewart was nowhere near as stubborn and implacable as his cousin had been. Not to mention that it was at this time that tensions between houses began to rise again. When the assassinations and thefts started, that's when the nobles of the city knew something would happen. It would be Nobles versus the Crown, Nobles versus Nobles. The House of Music decided to sit back and watch. They knew that war would be bad for business and they'd love to do something about it, but they only ran musicians and festivities, what could they do to stop war? Jerome disagreed. A stalwart loyalist to the crown, Jerome knew he'd have to do something, and so he did. It was small at first. He'd rig tournaments and jousts to siphon funds away from the more aggressive and militaristic houses. He hosted many, many balls, so that nobles would be too busy attending various festivities (which was of course expected of them), to plan any decisive actions. This was only stalling the inevitable though, which is when he began to utilise his charismatic abilities and relatively obscure position. Everybody liked Jerome, and he wasn't on any side, which is how he began to learn of plots and plans that the nobles wouldn't ordinarily reveal. At one point he learned of the Avonglade plot to assassinate Wendelius Copperguild of the House of Gold. Using his artistic skills he forged the handwriting of Wendelius and hired a messenger from the House of Gold to deliver a message to the Avonglade family, informing them that Wendelius had learned of their plot. The Copperguild of course knew nothing, but this did halt the plot. Other times he would share intrigue with the crown. The nobles began to be more cautious, and Jerome knew that any nobles who didn't attend his ball were probably plotting, meaning he could act specifically against them. He often managed to use musicians as spies as well. Through the use of music and song, Jerome managed to rile the public against certain houses and nobles, even causing them to boycott these families. Eredan is a city built on trade, a boycott was incredibly dangerous to these aristocrats. The closest the city came to actual combat was when the Woodthorpe family began to mobilise an army, which marched through the city streets towards the House of Fish. Jerome set up a quick festival parade to block their way. Eventually the army gave up and went home. In the Winter of that year, the noble families decided it wasn't worth the bother, and tensions calmed down again, returning to peace once more. Only a small group of people knew the contributions Jerome had made towards saving the city, not even the other Magisters at the House of Music knew. Only the King Regent, Queen Victoriana, and Taylor Flynnford. For saving the city from war, King Stewart awarded Jerome the position of High Magister at the House of Music. Since the start of the Adventure in 2016 Cedric Gallows visited a party Jerome was holding at the House of Music. Though Cedric accidentally blew up part of the house and severely injured Jerome, they soon became friends. After all, it was quite spectacular. Cedric came back later and retrieved the injured Jerome from his house to save him from the undead who were invading. When the group came back after their trip to Izir, Jerome was overjoyed to hear of their adventures in the strange continent. He even organised a grand party at Telmont Hall to celebrate their adventure (though he did have to renovate the building quite thoroughly in order to make it appropriate size). During this party, Jerome was mind controlled by Raven Blackflame and forced to put the adventurers on show, with all the guests as audience. After returning to Eredan, Jerome wasn't allowed much time to settle down again because he discovered that a zealous faction known as The Lightguard had started targeting anyone connected to the adventurers. Jerome left as soon as possible. Taylor tried to go with him, but Jerome insisted that she'd be safer within the city. He'd heard of the strange happenings outside the city walls and didn't want to risk her life. Before he left though, he asked if she'd marry him. She accepted with glee, although was surprised he didn't do it in more spectacular fashion. He stated that he'd been planning for something better than this, but he didn't have the time, and he'd make up for it by making their wedding twice as fabulous. Jerome headed to Fort Sentinel, only to discover it had already been sacked by the Lightguard. So instead he travelled West, and coincidentally Cedric teleported nearby after he'd finished business in Izir. Together they reconvened with the rest of the adventurers.